Dororo 2 by Osamu Tezuka: A-

July 1, 2008 by 1 Comment

Book description:
Hyakkimaru and Dororo continue to travel the land, protecting ungrateful villagers from demons and collecting missing body parts along the way. An encounter with a former mentor causes Hyakkimaru to reexamine his goals, however, and start considering what he wants to do with his life after the last of the demons has been defeated.

Review:
I really liked this volume of Dororo! The stories were continuous rather than purely episodic and Dororo really grew on me as a character. Hyakkimaru gained some angst when he learned about his family and also a cause, when the existence of a cache of money destined to fund a revolution was made known to him.

Although I liked pretty much everything (pesky anachronisms aside), my favorite bit was a story about a spirit dedicated to collecting new faces for a demon possessing a statue. She’s supposed to collect Dororo’s face, and takes on his mother’s visage to beguile him, but he ends up charming her by calling her “mama” and stuff, and in the end, she can’t sacrifice him.

I liked the first volume fine, so wasn’t expecting such an improvement for the second one. I’m not really sure how the story can wrap up with just one more volume—Hyakkimaru still has 27 or 28 demons left to vanquish—but hopefully it’ll deliver on the promise exhibited here.

Filed Under: Manga, Shounen, Supernatural Tagged With: ,

Venus in Love 3 by Yuki Nakaji: B

June 29, 2008 by Leave a Comment

From the back cover:
Suzuna’s had her heart set on Fukami but she’s been afraid to tell him her true feelings. Now Fukami’s out with another girl, and they seem to be turning into a steady couple. Suzuna finds herself spending more time with their mutual friend Eichi and a surprising development leaves the two of them with confused feelings about each other. Just when Suzuna thought things couldn’t get more complicated… they do!

Review:
Venus in Love is a comfy read. There’s no angst that a little encouragement can’t cure and bright smiles abound. Unfortunately, there’s also not a lot of resonance to the emotions these characters are supposedly feeling. If one were to compare what passes for love in this series to Ann and Daigo’s relationship in Sand Chronicles, for example, one would find the latter far more poignant.

Even though the series might miss the mark in depth, that doesn’t mean it isn’t enjoyable. The characters are likable, and I am occasionally a little surprised by twists in the story, like when the new male freshman character turns out to be interested not in Suzuna (what shoujo usually does) but in Eichi. But even then, his interest is shallow, of the kissing sleeping people and proclaiming “he will be mine!” variety.

Venus in Love has the goods to make me smile and I’ve learned by now not to expect more than that. I read it when I’m in the mood for some pleasant fluff, and with that expectation, it satisfies.

Filed Under: Manga, Shoujo Tagged With:

xxxHOLiC 12 by CLAMP: B+

June 29, 2008 by Leave a Comment

From the back cover:
Lately Kimihiro Watanuki’s dreams have been pleasant escapes that have given him the chance to talk to his new friend Haruki Doumeki. But now he’s falling asleep a lot—and starting to think his entire life with the witch Yuuko might be taking place in some kind of dreamworld. Then one night his dream is visited by a pretty princess named Sakura…

Review:
This is the second volume in a row to consist primarily of ominous hints regarding the goings-on in the Tsubasa storyline and the future of this one. I thought it was kind of neat last time, but it’s starting to get on my nerves a little, because it seems like the main xxxHOLiC storyline is rather scattered as a result. Of course, Watanuki popping in and out of a dream state probably contributes to that, as well.

Even though the story isn’t always coherent, and there are some bits that don’t make a lot of sense to me, some very important things manage to happen. The last few pages throw a new light on the series and are much appreciated. Hopefully that bodes well for a fair amount of revelation in the next volume.

Now that I’m getting my wish of a more epic storyline, I really oughtn’t complain too much, but I just hope that xxxHOLiC doesn’t end up playing second fiddle to its sister series. There are times when ties are a source of strength and times when they just hold you back.

Filed Under: Manga, Seinen, Supernatural Tagged With: ,

Sand Chronicles 2 by Hinako Ashihara: A

June 28, 2008 by 3 Comments

From the back cover:
Just when Ann has adjusted to life in the countryside—and even has a boyfriend!—her father invites her to live with him in Tokyo. Now she must choose between a father she hardly knows and a young man she is just beginning to know. But she soon discovers that they aren’t the only ones vying for her affections!

Review:
In a recent post on his blog, David Welsh said, “It’s entirely possible that Hinako Ashihara’s Sand Chronicles is less a great graphic novel for teens than a great graphic novel for former teens who remember the pointed moments of awkwardness and uncertainty of that time of life.” I kept remembering that comment as I read this volume, and I think it’s very true.

There’s a definite sense of “this was once terribly important to me and I wanted it to last forever, but now it’s all just a memory” about it all. This is bolstered by the way the story is structured—like a series of recollections and snapshots in time, with the shortest interval between chapters so far being six months. It induces strong nostalgia in me for those days—the me I was, the things I did, the people I used to see every day—and I think a distance of some years from one’s adolescence is required for that kind of wistful retrospection to flourish.

As regards the story itself, I really love both chapters included in this volume. In the first, Ann must decide whether to remain in Shimane with Daigo and her friends or to return to Tokyo to live with her father. The depiction of her divided loyalties and struggle to decide is very well done and I was impressed by how much of an emotional response the conclusion to the chapter provoked in me. In the second, the love triangle that’s been developing since the first volume gets explored. I really like that neither of the boys involved is an easy shoujo stereotype. One is more reserved than the other, but there are no fiery hotheads involved.

Seriously, y’all. Read this manga.

Filed Under: Manga, Shoujo Tagged With: , ,

Maison Ikkoku 8 by Rumiko Takahashi: B

June 27, 2008 by Leave a Comment

From the back cover:
Godai’s eavesdropping causes him to misunderstand Kyoko’s words—again. This time, it’s during Kyoko’s visit to her former husband’s graveside. A new wide-eyed tenant, Nozomu Nikaido, moves into room No. 2 and quickly causes trouble for the other Maison Ikkoku residents, especially Godai in his pursuit of Kyoko.

Review:
I was looking forward to Nozomu’s appearance, since he was left out of the anime. He arrives just after a couple of chapters with a more serious tone—Kyoko realizes she may be starting to get over Soichiro, and asks for his forgiveness—and dominates the rest of the volume with his antics.

It’s not that I disliked the result, it’s just that the antics (pranks among the residents, chiefly) aren’t really anything new. I got all optimistic when it seemed like he was going to steal Kozue away from Godai, since that’d be a tidy ending to their relationship and one in which she wouldn’t end up hurt. Alas, it was not to be. As soon as Godai determined to warn her away from the dense Nozomu, I knew what would happen.

Still, Maison Ikkoku earns points for simple charm alone. Plus, the gradual thawing of Kyoko’s heart makes me happy. I’ve past the halfway point now, so things should begin moving soon!

Filed Under: Manga, Seinen Tagged With: ,

Four Shōjo Stories by Keiko Nishi, Moto Hagio, and Shio Sato: B+

June 26, 2008 by 1 Comment

From the back cover:
An unprecedented collection of stories by the greatest shōjo manga (girls’ comics) artists of our time!

In shōjo manga, a uniquely literary genre of Japanese comics, the relationships between characters are as meticulously crafted as the story’s action. Shōjo artists are renowned for their visual innovations, as well. Experimenting with page layouts, panel placement, the interplay of text and image, and expressionistic background effects, the three female manga artists of Four Shōjo Stories create a uniquely absorbing reading experience!

Review:
It would be impossible to write a review of Four Shōjo Stories without referencing its unique history. Who better to shed light on its origins than Matt Thorn, the original translator and author of the book’s introduction. Here’s a post he made on MangaBlog in March 2007. Suffice it to say that, although this wasn’t cheap, I am pleased to’ve found a copy significantly below the price range stated in Matt’s comments.

Of the four stories, two are sci-fi works by shoujo creators and the other two are by josei artist Keiko Nishi. I liked those by Nishi least, though they weren’t bad. The second one in particular had a melancholy vibe that I liked, but none of the characters were sympathetic.

I’d expected to like Moto Hagio’s “They Were Eleven,” since I’ve seen it praised before. I wasn’t disappointed. It seemed to drag a little initially (at 120 pp, it was by far the longest story in the collection) but picked up steam and by the end it was clear that all the stuff that happened at the outset had served a purpose. Fans of sci-fi in general but also fans of shoujo series that feature what I call “gender hijinks” would probably enjoy this story.

The surprise for me was Shio Sato’s “The Changeling.” I’d never heard of Sato before, but I liked her story just about as much as Hagio’s. In it, a competent and boyish female space pilot received a signal from a previously uncontacted planet and went to investigate. Her opinions on the inhabitants she encountered were thoughtful and different than I’d expected. The story stuck in my head after I had finished and made me wish something else by Sato would get licensed. It also had a cute final panel.

While the contents of Four Shōjo Stories might not be uniformly stellar, they’re still enjoyable. It’s too bad they probably won’t see the light of day in a readily accessible, $8.99 sort of package any time soon.

Filed Under: Josei, Manga, Short Stories, Shoujo Tagged With: ,

The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service 1 by Eiji Otsuka and Housui Yamazaki: B+

June 24, 2008 by 4 Comments

From the back cover:
Five young students at a Buddhist university find that there’s little call for their job skills in today’s Tokyo… among the living, that is! But their studies give them a direct line to the dead—the dead who are still trapped in their corpses, and can’t move on to their next reincarnation! Whether you died from suicide, murder, sickness, or madness, they’ll carry your body anywhere it needs to go to free your soul!

Review:
I really wasn’t sure whether I’d like this series or not. I’d heard it was funny in a macabre kind of way, but worried about excessive levels of gore. Though there was one page that was truly gross, there were fewer disturbing images and more amusing snippets of dialogue than I’d been expecting and I ended up enjoying it quite a lot.

The five members of the Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service each had a different specialty they brought to the table, and their personalities meshed well. At times, I felt like I was watching a genre TV show—one of those with dashes of morbid humor—which is a compliment. My favorite character so far is probably Numata. His special talent is dowsing for corpses and though he looks all tough, he proved a couple of times to be a great big softie.

In the first chapter, the KCDS was formed (thanks to a winning lottery ticket that a grateful corpse gave them), and the three subsequent chapters dealt with different “cases” they came upon. Though each case was interesting, the recurring mystery of the spirit who hangs around one of the team and aids and protects him was what intrigued me the most. It was more genuinely creepy than anything else in the volume.

Lastly, Dark Horse provided extremely thorough notes at the back of the book, including a sound effects glossary and explanations of cultural references. This was good for a couple of giggles, too, and I’m sure the editor had fun describing sounds like “an organ hitting floor” or “foot bumping severed head” when he could’ve just written “thud” or “bump.”

I’m looking forward to continuing with this series; Dark Horse publishes a couple of other things by Otsuka and Yamazaki, too, which I might also check out eventually.

ETA: I’d originally classified this as shounen, because it was serialized some in Shonen Ace. However, it’s currently serialized in Comic Charge, which is definitely seinen. And it simply feels more seinen, so… there’s my rationale for switching it.

Filed Under: Horror, Manga, Seinen, Supernatural Tagged With:

7SEEDS 3 (Japanese) by Yumi Tamura: A-

June 21, 2008 by 1 Comment

Book description:
In the near future, a huge meteorite has collided with the earth. Governments around the world, who had forseen this worst case scenario, took countermeasures so that humanity would not go extinct. One example is Japan’s “Seven Seeds” project, in which young people were carefully selected and cryogenically frozen until such time as a computer deemed Earth safe for human habitation.

Team Summer B has left their inhospitable island in search of answers while Team Spring’s attempt to escape theirs failed due in part to the misogynist Yanagi, who wants to assume control of the group and refuses to heed the others’ suggestions. After a fall into a pit of deadly mantises, Yanagi is presumed dead. What could his sudden reappearance mean?

Review:
There were some sequences in this volume that were just downright COOL. In a deliciously freaky moment, Team Summer B discovered a Nagasaki landmark—a giant statue—almost entirely submerged in water. It was that discovery that really made the reality of their situation sink in. On their separate course, Team Spring realized that they were in Yokohama. Members of each group ventured off separately to check on the status of their home towns, leading to the exploration of creepy abandoned buildings and stuff. I love that sort of thing.

Tamura is adept at maintaining a tense atmosphere and kept the pacing of the story at a satisfying level. Some of the answers I’d been waiting for were provided, but plenty of plot potential remains. I suppose my main complaint at this point is the size of the cast. Sure, Basara had a ton of people, but they felt more gradually introduced. In 7SEEDS there’s already 15 or so. A couple of them got some development in this volume, but there really aren’t any that I particularly care about yet.

It’s the story rather than the characters that’s driving the series at this point. Luckily it’s a darned good one.

Filed Under: Manga, Sci-Fi, Shoujo Tagged With: ,

Maison Ikkoku 7 by Rumiko Takahashi: A

June 16, 2008 by 1 Comment

From the back cover:
Godai ends up in the hospital and has two unexpected visitors. His cute cousin comes to nurse him and Kyoko’s other suitor, Mitaka, ends up being his roommate. Godai’s problems aren’t over when he’s discharged—he has to deal with Kyoko and his school absences.

Review:
This volume is truly excellent, with many classic moments and even some movement on the relationship front.

I like the appearance of the hitherto unseen Mr. Ichinose, and find the chapter where both parents compete in an event at Kentaro’s school to be sweet and wonderful right up until the end when it’s revealed that Mrs. Ichinose has participated not for her kid’s sake, but to win some sake. That kind of ruins it a bit.

Several chapters feature Godai in a hospital after he broke his leg rescuing Kyoko from a crumbling bit of roof. Some of these aren’t so hot—I didn’t particularly care about the elopment of Godai’s cousin—but it’s about here that Kyoko begins to seriously ponder what her feelings are, and even comes close to smooching him. Anytime we get something from Kyoko’s point of view, I like it.

As good as these bits were, they can’t top my favorite chapter in the volume. Mitaka and Godai, upon running into each other for check-ups at the hospital (Mitaka ended up breaking his leg too), commence hanging out together and eventually drown their Kyoko-related sorrows in some booze. They stagger home, fully determined to tell her off for being stubborn and harboring a grudge against them for being idiots. That is, until they run into her. She says, “Let’s go home” and they both meekly go, “Okay.” Hee.

I haven’t talked about Takahashi’s art lately, but I’ve really been enjoying it. Background details continue to be excellent, and I’m particularly fond of little realistic touches, like a plane flying by in the background of one panel. It’s such a small thing, and yet I’m not sure I’ve seen it done before. The storytelling is also excellent, and though I do tire of the neighbors spoiling things, there were enough satisfying moments in these chapters that I didn’t come away annoyed.

Filed Under: Manga, Seinen Tagged With: ,

Maison Ikkoku 6 by Rumiko Takahashi: B+

June 15, 2008 by 1 Comment

From the back cover:
Grandma Godai comes for an extended visit and manages to meddle in Godai’s love life at every turn. Before she leaves, Grandma brokers a dream date for her wishy-washy grandson, but the night doesn’t turn out exactly as she planned…

Review:
Even though I didn’t like every story in this volume, as a whole, they formed a cozy, charming reading experience. In any other series, a random baseball chapter would probably irk me, but Maison Ikkoku can pull it off.

The one chapter I actively disliked featured Godai and his friend Sakamoto attending a welcoming party for freshmen. It was the first time drinking for one of the female attendees, and when she got drunk, Godai came very close to taking advantage of her. This was all played for comedic effect, of course. I don’t remember this being in the anime, so I have to wonder whether it was removed to kind of downplay Godai’s scumbaggery.

Godai’s grandma was in most of the stories, and stirred things up with many awkward questions and demands. She and the neighbors were especially annoying in this volume, but just when I was getting thoroughly fed up with the propensity of the latter to show up everywhere and ruin things for Godai, things took a turn for the cute when Godai and Kyoko ran away to escape them and had much fun in the process.

I’ve said before that Maison Ikkoku is like manga crack, but I think it’s more like manga meatloaf. Filling, satisfying comfort food with one essential recipe that can be tweaked many different ways. A perennial favorite.

Filed Under: Manga, Seinen Tagged With: ,
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